Transporting system.



, PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

J. WHITBPORD.

TRANSPORTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED JULYZ. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 835,590. I PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

J. WHITEFORD.

TRANSPORTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nus flnRRIS rs'rzns cov, WASHINOYON, u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WHITEFORD, OF MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE- THIRD TOFRANK J. MoLEAN AND ONE-THIRD TO FRANCIS J. MoLEAN, OF MENOMONIE,WISCONSIN.

TRANSPORTING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WHITEFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Menomonie, State of WVisconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Transporting Systems, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a transporting system, and more particularly toa system of endless movable cable conveyers upon which articles to bemoved are freely sup orted during transportation, said conveyers avingportions arranged at angles to one another forming part of a continuousline of trans portation and said system further including one or morespur-lines disposed at an angle to the main line and driven therefrom.

The object of the invention is to provide a system of the characterspecified which is particularly simple in construction and highlyeflicient in operation.

To this end the invention includes the combination and arrangement ofcomponent parts, to be hereinafter described, and par ticularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one exemplification of myinvention, Figure 1 is a plan view of the system; Fig. 2, a sideelevation of the system, showing the mechanism for driving thespur-conveyer from the main conveyer; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of oneof the guide-pulleys.

The invention includes generally a pair of main carrying-cables movablein a rectilinear line for moving an article freely supported thereupon,a second air of cables disposed at an angle to the st for conveying thearticle in a rectilinear line, a pair of transfercables for transferringthe article received from the first conveyer to the second conveyer,said transfer-cables having associated therewith guide-pulleys of novelconstruction, and a spur-conveyer comprising a pair of cables moving insynchronism with the main cables and running at right angles to one airthereof.

T e embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is particularly adaptedfor conveying green brick from the molding-station to the drying-yard ofa brick plant.

One branch of the main conveyer is designated a in the accom anyingdrawings and consists of a pair of en ess cables 6, arranged side byside a suitable distance apart and guided over sheaves c d, supported inany suitable way. The sheaves c are fixed to a shaft 6, which isextended to receive a drivepulley f and which acts as a main drive-shaftof the entire system.

A second branch of the main conveyer (designated g) is disposed at rightangles to the brancha and comprises like endless conveyers guided oversheaves h i, which are supported in any suitable way. The sheaves h arefixed to a shaft m, which is driven from the shaft 6 in a manner to behereinafter described.

For making the right-angular turn in the illustrated exemplification ofmy invention or for making a turn of greater or less angle, as the casemay be, a transfer-conveyer 0 is employed, which comprises two endlesscables P R, arranged side by side and guided around sheaves t u o w,mounted on the shafts e m, respectively, and around intermediateguide-pulleys S. The sheave t is fixed to the shaft 6 and drives theouter cable P, and the sheave 'vrotates independently of the shaft m.The sheaves u w are fixed to the shafts e m, respectively, so that thesheave it drives the inner strand R of the conveyer 0 and therethroughthe shaft m, which in turn imparts movement to the second branch 9 ofthe main conveyer. The pulley t is of larger diameter than the sheave u,the relative size of the two being such that the outer portion of anarticle supported on said cables will move about the axis of the outerpulleys S at substantially the same time the inner portion of thearticle is mov ing about the axis of the inner pulleys S.

The guide-sheaves S are of novel construction and are mounted in a novelmanner. As shown, each sheave or pulley S is disposed at an angle to thehorizontal, the outer part of the pulley being in a higher plane thanthe inner portion thereof, and the lower guideflange S of-each pulley.is relatively of much greater depth or Width than the u per guideflangeto provide a more extenc ed seat or rest for the cable. Each pulley S ispreferably journaled in a bracket secured to a post y. Each bracket hasits upper face disposed at an angle to the horizontal.

In conveying bricks the latter are placed side by side on a pallet, andthe pallet is placed upon the pair of cables extending transversely ofthe latter. By means of the main conveyers a g and the transfer-conveyer0 a return system may be built running through any desired field orarea.

To distribute the articles carried by the main conveyer in areas to oneside of the same and a distance therefrom, one or more spur-conveyersare employed. The spurconveyer z illustrated herein extends at rightangles to the main conveyer a and is driven therefrom. To effect thisaction, a power-transmitting shaft 1 is employed, to which sheaves 2 arefixed, driven from the lower strand of the cables I) by frictional contact therewith. To hold the lower strands 1) into frictional contactwith the sheaves 2, a pair of idlers 3 4 are employed, either one, orboth, of which may be adjustably mounted. As illustrated, the idler 3 isadjustably mounted in the support 5, the latter being provided with aseries of slots providing journalbearings. The driving-sheaves 6 for thespur-conveyer are fixed to shaft 7, mounted in any suitable manneradjacent the shaft 1, and suitable transmitting mechanism is interposedbetween the ends of said shafts. This mechanism is here illustrated asbeveled gears 8 9, intermeshing with each other and carried by saidshafts ]7, respectively.

The construction and operation of my system will be understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and it will be appre ciated that certain changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim 1. In a conveyer system, two main conveyers comprising pairs ofendless cables arranged at an angle to each other, a transfer conveyerinterposed between the ends of said main conveyers and comprising a pairof endless cables, end guiding-sheaves for the latter and intermediateguiding-pulleys therefor disposed at an angle to the horizontal andprovided with lower flanges of greater circumference than the upperflanges thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a conveyer system, two main conveyers comprising pairs of endlesscables, said conveyers being arranged at an angle to each other, atransfer-conveyer interposed between the ends of said main conveyers andcomprising a pair of endless cables, a spurconveyer extending at anangle to one of the main conveyers, said spur-conveyer comprising a pairof endless cables, and drive mechanism interposed between said main andspur conveyers comprising sheaves driven from the cables of the mainconveyer, a shaft to which the sheaves are fixed, a second shaftdisposed at an angle thereto, drive-sheaves for the spur-conveyer fixedto the second shaft and beveled gears interposed between the ends ofsaid shafts, substantially as described.

3. In a conveyer system, two main conveyers comprising pairs of endlesscables, said conveyers being arranged at an angle to each other, atransfer-conveyer interposed between the ends of said main conveyers andcomprising a pair of endless cables, a spur conveyer extending at anangle to one of the main conveyers, said spur-conveyer comprising a'pair of endless cables, and drive mechanisms interposed between themain and spur conveyers comprising sheaves coacting with the lowerstrands of the main conveyer idlers holding the said lower strands infrictional contact with the sheaves, a shaft to which the sheaves arefixed, a second shaft disposed at an angle thereto, drive-sheaves forthe spur-conveyer fixed to the second shaft and transmitting mechanisminterposed. between the first and second. shafts, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a conveyer system, two main conveyers disposed at angles to eachother, an. interposed transfer-conveyer, a main driveshaft, a pair ofsheaves fixed thereto driving the cable of one of said main conveyers, apair of sheaves fixed to said shaft driving the cable of thetransfer-conveyer, a driven shaft, a pair of sheaves fixed theretodriving the cables of the second main conveyer, a third sheave fixed tosaid driven shaft driven by one of the cables of the transfer-conveyerand providing a guide therefor and a fourth sheave mounted on saiddriven shaft and movable independently thereof, the latter sheaveforming a support for the second. cable of the tra1'1sferconveyer,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Menomonie, Wisconsin, this 21st day of June,1906.

JOHN WHITEFORD.

WVitnesses:

D. H. DECKER, E. H. GRANNIs.

